shu loves you

In the winter, I tend to wear more makeup. This is just an unfortunate fact of life; pasty and dry, I  lay on the bronzer, eye makeup, blush, gloss, pretty much anything that will make me look as rosy and fresh as possible. In the last few weeks however, I have noticed, despite my vigilant retinol regimen, more dark/fragile skin around my eyes than normal. My incredible powers of deduction have led me to the source of this issue. Long hours of work and late bedtimes cause me to get lazy with removing my makeup. Ladies, we do ourselves a great disservice every time we scrub our eyes with moisturizer dabbed onto toilet paper, makeup remover wipes that have long dried in their casing, or the worst, the Savon de Marseille next to the sink meant for hands only. Luckily, whining about my predicament to the all-knowing Anbon of Barney’s has completely solved my problem. This is a new must-have: Shu Uemura’s Cleansing Beauty Oil.

I know using oil to clean your face sounds counterproductive, but hear me out. You need oil to break down the oil in makeup. In the first step of using this product, you apply a few pumps to your face in gentle circular motions. You don’t need to rub at all in order to lift the makeup – even waterproof makeup. You then wet your hands and start gently massaging water on top of the oil; this causes the oil to emulsify into a gentle foam which, when completely rinsed, leaves your face *sparkling* clean and not feeling oily in the least. This must be tried to be believed and the helpful salesperson at Barney’s NY was a doll in demonstrating on her hand, to which she had just applied a number of waterproof eyeshadows. The bottle to the left is 150 ml and $35. The salesperson recommended that I try the 450 ml bottle 450 ml bottle; at $70, it’s twice the cash for three times the amount. I’m glad I did, since using this product is exactly what I needed. I wake up in the morning without a trace of makeup on my face, whereas before I always had stubborn and unfortunate black residue around my eyes from mascara and eyeliner. Moreover, using this beauty oil makes washing my face a pleasure rather than a chore. The soothing watermelon, jasmine, and sandalwood scent is another added bonus.

There are a number of different types of beauty oil for different kinds of skin but the Premium A/O formula is the most popular because of its anti-aging benefits for normal or combination skin. Get yourselves to the nearest Barney’s, Bloomingdale’s, or Sephora to try it out. In the immortal words of Bigtime Benson: Run to Buy.

skin updates

As some of you may have noticed (or not) I have taken a brief hiatus from posting as regularly as I would like to in order to focus on some other work. However, this does not mean I am ignoring the beauty around me — far from it! Many exciting things have been going on and it pains me to take so long to share them all! But I digress.

Last night I had the pleasure of dining with MM and noticed her skin was looking extra radiant. Radiant is not the word. I have known her for 18 years and she has never looked fresher!! Completely without makeup and looking stunning. Now comes the time for me to partially take credit for her flawless complexion. After reading the retinol blog, she was not totally convinced retinol was for her, but wanted to try it in a non-committal fashion. She purchased Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Cream, which has Vitamins B5 and E in addition to retinol. She has been using it 2-3 times a week with excellent results! At $13, you have no excuse not to try it.

anti-aging agenda

About a month ago several friends asked me about retinol and whether I use it to fight early signs of aging. I had always thought that retinol and Retin-A were acne medications (I was half-right), so when I heard about this supposedly untapped fountain of youth I had to try it. I asked around and got a variety of responses. My friend’s aunt, a longtime aesthetician in a dermatologist’s office, was enthusiastic about it, suggesting a new regime for me based around the cream. However, one of my buyers, when I mentioned it to her, told me it basically burned her face off. Obviously, I immediately sequestered the bottle she had purchased less than a week before, now useless in her medicine cabinet, for my own use.

I am not a doctor so take my advice as you will. I have done some thorough research (spoken to a PhD candidate who studies skin cancer, my dermatologist, my friend’s aunt, and Wendy – duh) and can speak from personal experience as well. Here is my advice. All my 25+ year-old ladies, this is for you.

Retin-A is an effective and highly potent acne fighter; a convenient side effect is that it successfully fights wrinkles. This is because Vitamin A, in addition to removing the keratin plugs that form blackheads in your skin, stimulates collagen production and cell turnover. However, Retin-A is a hardcore chemical that should really only be used by people with serious acne. If you don’t have acne but still want the collagen and anti-zit benefits of Vitamin A, use retinol. Retinol is the kinder, gentler form of Vitamin A that exists in nature. It, too, fights aging by correcting damaged skin cells through collagen production, while addressing splotchy patches and zits. Even though you don’t need a prescription, retinol is strong (1% is the highest concentration) so you should ease into using it.

Follow some guidelines:

1. Prep your face before you apply. Completely wash with a gentle cleanser/toner that is pH-balanced. Look out for sugar in the ingredients of many OTC face washes – sugar crystals have jagged edges that will irritate your skin, causing it to produce more oil. Brush your teeth and dry your skin thoroughly beforehand because Vitamin A products do not mix well with moisture. Finally, apply some vaseline or rosebud salve to your lips to protect from perioral irritation. Wait until your skin is completely dry before using the retinol cream.

2. Using more retinol cream does not mean you will get rid of more wrinkles. Use a pea-sized amount to cover your entire face.

3. Retinol can only be used at night because it makes your skin extremely sun-sensitive. Always wash your face thoroughly in the morning to remove traces of the cream. Apply a hydrating moisturizer during the day with a separate SPF cream on top. Many people don’t realize that SPF cannot be absorbed by skin so SPF moisturizers 1) sit on top of the skin, 2) don’t moisturize deeply, and 3) create build-up that causes acne.

4. If you are unsure, speak with your dermatologist to find out how often you should use retinol. Most experts recommend using it every other night at first to acclimate your face to the intensity but that might be too often for some people. Retinol dries and thins the skin so if your skin is not overly-wrinkled then you probably don’t need to use it so regularly — especially in the winter, when skin is already dry.

The first week, I used it 3 times (every other night), and on the sixth day my skin broke out in a painful rash on my cheeks. I stopped using it immediately (this was two months ago). My rash faded within an hour and for two weeks after that my skin was flawless. Then I noticed I was developing some bumpy pimple-looking things on the usual areas and I applied the retinol cream again. Literally the next morning my skin was perfect again, blemish-free and less dull. I spoke to Wendy, who is Chinese and thirty-two, and she said she does not use it at all in the winter because her skin is way too sensitive. Instead, she applies it once a week or so in the summer when oils tend to build up on the face. I have been using it 1-2 times every other week and my skin looks tighter (although admittedly I do not have many wrinkles).

Would love to hear any readers’ thoughts and experiences with retinol. I have listed three different retinol creams to try, all at the .5% concentration (I used Skinceuticals’ Retinol 0.5). Always start with this lowest effective concentration and have the goal of eventually building up to 1%. However, this will and should take time. Use 1-2 times a week to start and in definitely don’t be shy about skipping weeks. You don’t want to play all your anti-aging cards before you are even in your thirties!

Update: One of my smart readers, AKarounE, chimed in with some notes about Retin-A and why it might work for you. Her comments are very helpful and insightful — see below!

Next up, a wrinkle-fighting eye-cream. And now a word from my resident Mad Scientist.

Some products to try: DERMAdoctor Neova Retinol ME .3%, $75; Skinceuticals Retinol 0.5, $50; Ayur-Medic Retinol Cream, $68

8-hr cream

It seems like everywhere I look women are whipping a tube of Eight Hour Cream out of their purses. The weather in Paris has been just as cold as NY and Elizabeth Arden’s skin restoring blend of petroleum, beta-hydroxy, and vitamin E soothes chapped lips, hands, and dry spots. One friend told me she even uses it on her hair every once in a while, overnight, and when she rinses it out in the morning it is extra soft. You can’t really argue with a product whose formula hasn’t changed since 1930, right?

sos: save our skins

In the last couple of weeks, a few unfortunate things (spots) have surfaced. I won’t bore you with the gory details but my facial flesh has totally been acting out; it could be the weather, or the samples clogging our offices (fashion office/showroom/sample closet employees’ common complaint: fibers in the air clog pores), but whatever it is, it must be stopped. I have been scanning the airwaves for a peaceful resolution and it seems I may be on to something. Retin-A and retinol. More info on which is better, which is more appropriate for one’s skin, what the essential differences are, and whether you need to start using it now (like everyone has been telling me). I’ve got a derm, a chemist whose specialty is antioxidants, a skin professional, and a pharmacist all working on it. I have also started an initial trial of a nightly retinol cream. Excited to report back with details soon.

high-tech skincare

Some skin gadgets are just toys. On the other hand, we have this intriguing new product from Philips. It’s called Crystalize and it takes extreme closeup pictures of your face, then analyzes the results and recommends products for your skin type. Crystalize was developed with the advice of university dermatologists and is unbiased in its recommendations – Philips does not accept comission of any sort and recommends products across all price points.

Do women want to discuss their skin problems with online strangers?? Are you kidding me? Of course they do! Women jump at the chance to review and share on sites like MakeupAlley, and in forums where they communicate and share tips with total strangers. Philips is wise to bank on women using this product and then joining their social networking blog to talk about the results. For now, a Crystalize assessment costs $90 and is only available at one retailer in the world: Studio BeautyMix at Fred Segal. If anyone out there is a beta-tester, I would love to hear about it! Next time I am in California I will have to swing by and do some reconnaissance.

thanks Mattie

turn it around, week 1

So my girl Stella recommended a new product for me that she is so enthusiastic about I have to try it for myself (and obviously boyfriend has to try as well). It’s Clinique’s Turnaround Radiance Peel, a once-a-week peel that is the equivalent of a 30% glycolic peel over 8 weeks. The system supposedly refines your skin over time by “training” skin cells to generate more quickly and frequently through exfoliation. There are a few obvious advantages: the stress on your skin is minimal and not noticeable at once, so you don’t have to deal with a sandblasted face, the convenience and ease of doing it at home, and the price — at $55 it’s essentially $7 a week, which, if effective, is a great value.

The reviews on MakeupAlley are not amazing but there are only five and it seems like three of them didn’t give the product a chance to work before reviewing it. The reviews on Clinique’s website are much better and there’s a bigger sample. Stella said this peel made her pores shrink, her skin glow, and her overall tone even. She is used to fancy facials on a regular basis so if she is raving about this mask something good must be going on.

Boyfriend and I tried this out last night. We completely washed our faces, applied the peel with a cotton ball, and finished with our normal moisturizer. He had some redness on his forehead and little bumps, like a rash, but it faded after 30 minutes and the application of the calming cream. My skin tingled — in some placed it felt slightly uncomfortable — but by the time I applied moisturizer there was redness but no pain.

Clinique Turnaround Radiance Once-A-Week System, available at Bloomingdale’s, $55

Update: I wrote this entry last night and was all set to post this today with a “no changes yet—will update next week” but I am already seeing a difference. The red rough patches on my forehead are almost totally gone and my chin is smooth and has no spots. Usually my big complaint is that my chin has permanent clogged pores just under the skin so the skin is really uneven and tends to breakout. The change is startling. Can’t wait for next week! I would do it again tonight if I could but the Clinique girls were really adamant about sticking to the schedule.

photoshop your face, part II

Yesterday I hinted at the underlying problem of concealing your imperfections. That is, of course, that it’s better to attack them head on and try to eliminate them rather than cover them up. I managed to get a sample of Clé de Peau’s Eye Contour Essence. So far I have only been using if for three days but I have noticed that when I wake up in the morning the skin around my eyes is particularly soft and supple and the dark circles are reduced. It contains Vitamin E + C as well as retinyl acetate to prevent fine lines and dullness. Still debating whether to spend the full amount (not reviewed on Makeup Alley, but this person seems to like it and I love the $1.32 per night rationalization). My makeup guru swears by it, so maybe? Note that this product is preventative but technically not for getting rid of wrinkles; it is targeted primarily towards undereye circles.

the winner is… brazened honey

My boyfriend is trying to quit smoking so I encourage him to do one deeply relaxing thing every day to take his mind off the cigs. On Friday, without any prompting from me, he did a steam bath and a little facial with the Lush Brazened Honey mask. In the words of my makeup guru Renato, “everybody loves pampering.” This was my favorite mask and now I know I am justified in my thinking. Where the Love Lettuce and Garlic Whatever failed, Brazened Honey is effective. Boyfriend informed me dutifully that he examined his face thoroughly before doing the steam bath, purging any blackheads lurking under the surface or superficial zits he may have had. The next morning he noticed two new ones where there were none before, and today his face was blemish-free. He also liked Brazened Honey for the great smell, texture, and the tingling sensation he felt after using it (and it doesn’t hurt that its only $7.95). He’s a good little guinea pig.

This mask is for tired, combination skin that needs a little help to get back to its radiant self. Brazened Honey is detoxifying and exfoliating (gently, with ground almond husks). If you wake up the next morning with a few new spots, don’t panic: it’s just your skin getting rid of the bad stuff. No wonder it gets a 76% approval rating on Makeup Alley (thanks Minami!).

the plot thickens

My cry for help has been heard by a dear friend — let’s call her Stella — who happens to have maddeningly perfect skin. Stella is one of those girls who has long sacrificed having a tan in favor of porcelain skin year round and is just shocked when she sees me running around without a hat and sunglasses. Her devotion to her clear complexion has often been a heated topic of dinner conversation and she has been trying to get me to see her fancy dermatologist/aesthetician for a while. She reminded me of this after reading my last few posts, claiming that while it smells pretty, Lush has never done her any favors. While I am not about to give up my toner tabs or my Lady Godiva, it is clear I need something more potent.

Stella told me that she has been seeing Frankie Paige, an aesthetician who uses Dr. Kest’s Ayur-Medic line, for the last five years. Her regimen is the Anti-Bacterial Wash with Exfoliating Beads to improve her skin’s texture; the Clearifying Mask with cucumber to regulate surface oil production; and the Retinol Cream to fight signs of aging. She swears by this routine (when asked why some of the products are on sale her response was “I don’t know why… but I am buying some!”)

See the full assortment here. I am not quite ready to take the jump to see an expensive facialist and buy a range of products I have never tried. Has anyone else out there used Ayur-Medic? It’s staying on the shelf… for now.